before success comes a world of disappointment
by prince zuko3
Summary: Ryu, a eleven year old child trains with his father in the art of fire bending, in hopes of over coming his "cursed" firebending abilites. one shot based on from a future story that i will write. O/C


"**Man's best Successes, came after their disappointments".  
><strong>_**remember, information given in this story, is subject to change in the full story.**_

**-  
><strong>The warm spring breeze caused Ryu's shaggy black hair to dance across his cheeks, the breeze felt nice as it combated the suns heated rays, alongside him sat two of his friends, Mako and Reyez, the three of them knew it was against school rules to sit ontop of the large stone wall that encircled the fire nation academy for Boys, but it was the best place to catch the fresh air, the best place to feel the wind, the best place to feel free in the normally so controlled environment in which the school had become.

"Hey Ryu, I heard your father was back in town." Mako, the oldest of the three called from his spot on the wall, "Is he going to give you some more fire bending lessons?"

Ryu sighed, he was eleven years old and still struggled with the most basic of moves. Since he was seven years old he had developed a unique way to bend, something that all the masters he had trained under deemed uncontrollable, something that only he and his father had been determined _or stupid_ enough to pursue. "I guess" Ryu was almost fed up with trying to control his "cursed" bending, his father had spent a lot of money on getting Ryu a swords master, someone to teach him how to use a Jian, just in case it came down to his bending truly being uncontrollable. Since the day he began lessons almost a year previous to the present day, the silver jian never left his side.

The gong like bell rang out and the three boys began their walk home, Reyez was the first to split off from the group and go his own way, when they got to the point where Mako would normally walk away to Ryu was surprised to see the boy continue walking with him. "What are you doing?" Ryu asked, careful to keep the surprise out of his voice.

"Coming to see how your training session goes" Mako smirked slightly, twelve years old and already the best bender in his class. His father was a simple man; he owned a store in the middle class section of the city. His mother however was a member of the Set Sakuri, a force of soldiers under the command of general Katashi, they were the best the man had to offer in his army. And only ten of his soldiers had been picked.

Ryu sighed. He hated it when Mako followed him back. He had been doing it far more frequently now, like he was either hoping he would fail, or make some sort of improvement, which Ryu didn't know, but he hoped he would stop coming over during his lessons anyway, he barley ever got to see his father, who was serving as an admiral in the war, it was rare that he saw his rather, let alone got lessons from him.

They walked together in silence, Ryu lived rather close to the palace, due to the fact that while his father was in the capitol he was expected to attend the war meetings held by the fire lord. As they drew closer to their goal, Mako decided he would walk a little faster, always trying to compete against Ryu in hopes of making the younger child feel more worthless, while Mako meanwhile seemed to be soaking up the feeling of being bigger and stronger.

They arrived at Ryu's home then, a servant stood waiting for him at the gate that once opened led down the path, to the base of the steps that led into the home in which, Ryu lived with his mother and father.

"Master Ryu." Cinq bowed before the young child, a sign of respect. Cinq had been hired as Ryu's one and only personal slave. Both of his parents believed that if he had too many than Ryu would become lazy, and begin slacking off. "Your father is waiting for you in the courtyard, please follow me while we freshen you up for training, and get your friend here a snack." Without waiting for a reply Cinq walked down the path and into the house.

The house itself was huge, consisting of four bedrooms, a personal study for his father, a large kitchen and dining area, a parlour, as well as a large living space and library. For this Ryu was thankful of his father's rank in the fire nation military. But that was the only good thing about it.

Fifteen minutes later Ryu was standing out in the large courtyard of his home, his shirt long discarded and left in comfortable burgundy pants. His father was in a much the same state except he kept a light weight vest that he would normally wear under his clothing that served as soaking up all his sweat, and keeping him more mobile during battle.

Ryu kept his silver Jian strapped to his back, his father had encouraged the use of the blade during their training, war wasn't a fair fight, so if Ryu needed his sword, who was going to stop him.

Ryu's father, Ryuhito, was a tall and well built man, with large side burns running down his face and a beard to match his face seemed much older than it actually was, his medium length hair tied up into a tight top knot.

"Son, it's great to see you again." Ryuhito's voice was deep, loud, and almost frightening, but that comes from the many years he had served in the war, when he talked to Ryu, there was nothing but affection.

"Hello dad" Ryu's voice was quite, he knew that was all the family reunion they would be getting for now, his father would attack at any second and he didn't want to be caught off guard. He placed one hand on the handle of his blade and removed it from its sheath. Seeing the small smirk on his father's lips, he dived quickly to his left just as his father shot a mediocre ball of flame at him.

Ryu got to his feet and ran at his father, his blade pointed low at the ground. Ryuhito stepped to his left and kicked up a small wall of flame, nothing deadly, but something that would cause Ryu alot of pain if he continued to run straight at his father. Knowing this, Ryu used a basic fire bending technique, something that didn't cause him to suffer from his cursed bending.

With an overly practiced flick of his wrist and movement of his arms Ryu managed to clear out the flames and make a swing at his father, who was taken by surprise, the blade narrowly missed his shoulder as he stepped back and rolled to his right, making some space between himself and Ryu.

This time Ryuhito kicked up a larger wall of fire, using both his arms he moved the fire so that it now surrounded his body in a low circular wall. Something that Ryu wouldn't be able to put out, and wouldn't be able to get past. Making Ryuhito untouchable to melee attacks.

Ryu wasn't stupid, he knew what his father wanted him to do.

He wanted Ryu to fire bend at him, show him the little progress he had made. And hope that maybe this time it would be better.

Ryu placed the jian in its sheath and threw the blade towards the walls of the courtyard to his left. He then got into the fire bending stance his father had showed him. And summoned the chi inside his body. Pulling his arms back a little he then punched the air directed at his father with both hands and shot a thin line of fire directly at him, for the first time in years the fire managed to get so close to Ryuhito that he was actually worried he would be burnt by it.

And then the part they both feared would happen, happened. Ryu's fire exploded starting at the fire that was about to burn Ryuhito's father's arm off, and travelling all the way back up though the fire and ending at what was just leaving Ryu's fingertips.

The chain reaction sent both Ryu and his father flying in different directions, both unconscious from the impact of the explosion before they even hit the floor.

Ryuhito had admitted more than once, Ryu's fire bending was amazing, it was powerful, and it was well formed. But the only problem was when it exploded, Ryu had no control over when it exploded, or if it even exploded, it just happened and it was times like this when Ryu wished he was born a non bender.

While he laid unconscious on the cool stone tiled floor and started picturing what it would be like to live in a world with no war, that way him making his bending powerful enough to use in battle would no longer be a problem, and he could focus on all the basics, maybe even become a master swordsmen, that wouldn't be bad.

-

A/N

**Okay guys i know i promised this much earlier, but i can explain, i was writing it when i said i would, and then my friend called me and asked to come over, so i said sure, he came over and ended up staying for 6 straight days leaving me unable to write, so for that im sorry guys.**

**Also another reason it was late, is because i have been talking to his girl i like ;D shhhhh don't tell anyone i like her ;D**

**now the actual story.  
>if you didn't understand how ryu bends, its like when a fire bender shoots their fire, it hits something and explodes. Well ryu's fire bending doesn't need to hit something, it just goes boom. And he doesn't have any control over that.<br>another way to explain how it happens, is remember when Zuko is trying to learn how to shoot lightning, and it explodes in his finger tips.  
>well Ryu's fire explodes somewhere along the stream of fire thats coming out of his body.<strong>

**mako is named after the voice actor for iroh, reyez is named after a singer, cinq is named after the number 5 in French, katashi is a name i like, and it works, and Yuhito, is Ryu's full name, which he actually is named after his father, so they share that name, except ryu is shortened as more of his nickname. Umm most of these characters will be talked about much more in the series. Remember this is just a random one shot to explain somethings. ;D  
>hope you enjoyed.<br>**


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